Pitch Deck Outline

PITCH DECK OUTLINE

- Title Page
- Research Question
- Problem Introduction
- Existing attempts at solving problem/competition
- Display research for my solution
- Summate solution
- Deliverables

This is a quick outline for how I want my pitch deck to look like for my thesis project.

Research Summary

RESEARCH SUMMARY

Market Research

Characteristics of a 'backcountry ski'

- Built with lighter woods and composites

- May have a squared-off tail and/or rivets for climbing skin attachment

- Directional flex

- Designed for those who care as much about the uphill as they do the down

- Essentially all people want is a lightweight ski, that can rip downhill

Why there is a rising demand for backcountry equipment

With the evolution of gear allowing for more entry level skiing, and monetization/popularity of skiing rising so much, it has become an increasingly different experience to go skiing at a resort. In addition, due to climate change, resorts are getting less snow every year, resulting in early closures etc.

There used to be a sense of disconnection from society when you went skiing, even with the lifts. There were no cell phones on the slopes, no go pros attached to people heads. There was just you, the mountains, and like minded people. The upside of all this new technology and popularity is; now you can rendezvous with friends, check the snow report immediately, and share your experiences with social media right as it's happening.

The downside to this is that the connection with you and nature is lost. That feeling of just you and the mountain is increasingly hard to find now a days skiing at a resort. There are far too many other, societal distractions.

For these reasons, skiers are transitioning, and there is a noticeable, rising demand for backcountry gear in the industry right now.

Competitor Analysis

DPS Skis

When buying touring skis/researching what you want to ride in the backcountry, many sites will point you in the direction of a variety DPS skis. They have created a very successful niche for themselves in the industry; making the most advanced skis. They are known for their extremely lightweight, revolutionary and high-tech touring designs. But they are also known to be extremely overpriced, and many people do not like the way DPS rides in variable conditions – a feeling of the skis being to 'weak' and chattery at high speeds is a common discussion among avid backcountry skiers. 

Simply put, DPS skis are not for everyone. They are for those who can afford it and maybe want to show off. They are for the skier who likes a lightweight ski for putting in miles on the ascent. They are for the older demographic who enjoys simple powder turns. They are not for people who want to charge at high speeds in variable conditions. They are not for people who want to hold an edge, make quick turns and take air and high impacts.

https://rootsrated.com/stories/how-skiing-has-changed-over-the-years

https://www.powder.com/stories/climate-change/climate-change-study-2090/

https://www.bbc.com/news/business-42110566

https://futuretravel.today/the-changing-face-of-the-us-ski-industry-and-what-it-means-for-skiers-and-boarders-a4a42977093f

https://www.onthesnow.com/news/a/588553/skiing-changed-significantly-have-you

https://www.outsideonline.com/2246196/best-backcountry-skis-and-bindings-2018
https://backcountrymagazine.com/gear/2018-editors-choice-awards-mountain-skis/
https://www.switchbacktravel.com/best-backcountry-skis
https://www.skimag.com/gear/gear-guide-2018-backcountry-ski-reviews#gid=ci021497ef0000245d&pid=1718_backcountryski_g3_roamr100elle_promo

Digital Media Expert

DIGITAL MEDIA EXPERT

Possible DMEs

Giovanni Leone - Assistant Art Director of Backcountry magazine for 3 years. Freelanced for some of my personal favorite outdoor companies. Has a good knowledge of what the industry wants in terms of visual styles and branding.

Still brainstorming for someone else with possibly more experience – or rather something more geared towards designing for skis specifically.

Subject Matter Expert

SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT

Possible SMEs

Kevin Schaefer - Industry expert. Knows everything there is to know about manufacturing quality skis. Has worked for and produced skis for some of the most well known companies in the industry.

Marty Carrigan - Sales/Marketing expert. Owner of Global Sales Guys. A marketing company representing some of the most well known winter companies in the industry. Including Black Crows, one of the best and most awarded ski companies on the market.

Research Question

RESEARCH QUESTION

Updated Problem Definition

Lots of companies are making skis – marketing the brand and creating a niche identity in the marketplace among many other existing companies requires a solution. Ellis Skis are a backcountry geared ski which implies clientele will be experienced, avid skiers.

Research Question

v.1
How can I apply anecdotal strategies, motion design and photography to create a distinguished brand identity in a fully stocked marketplace?

v.2
How can powerful narrative and brand imagery create a niche in a crowded ski industry?

Position Ellis Skis
Differentiate Ellis Skis

Problem Definition

PROBLEM DEFINITION

Problem Definition

Lots of companies are making skis – marketing the brand and creating a niche identity in the marketplace poses many obstacles.

Because:

Creating a ski in the marketplace that satisfies the needs of a backcountry skier has become vital in the marketplace. This is why every ski company now has there own line of backcountry skis. There isn't a company that says we make skis for the avid backcountry skier – but there needs to be. People are waiting patiently.

This is where skiing is headed. People aren't just looking to put skis on, get on a lift and go down back to their resort. People want an outdoor experience, away from all of the fuss. That is why backcountry skiing is gaining massive popularity.

https://www.ispo.com/en/trends/ski-touring-trend-skiers-are-driven-need-fitness-training-and-nature-experience-winter

https://www.forbes.com/sites/allisonolms/2018/03/24/why-you-should-try-skiings-hottest-trend/#46d2ff96dbb7

Thesis Preliminary Research

PRELIMINARY RESEARCH

Problems I want to solve

Ski companies are making backcountry geared skis too flimsy because they can't find a balance of lightweight to durability.

Larger ski companies are only focusing on sales, not the quality of the product, because they care more about making money than  being innovative.

Smaller ski companies have a lack of awareness because they only promote culture. They do not simultaneously work towards creating strong brand identity – like their larger competition.

Research

Whether your conversing with an industry expert, or examining product descriptions on a retail website, or even just a person who frequents the slopes – there is a fat chance you have heard something on the discussion of 'AT' this, and 'AT' that. Alpine touring – AT – is for the skier who wants to descend hard in the paint, while keeping their gear light enough to travel long distances on the approach. It is also commonly referred to as backcountry, or freeride skiing. 

About a year ago, every large ski company and their mothers starting advertising that they creating and were selling new, lightweight skis that maintained a hard cut, and responsive turn radius even on hard packed snow. This is because skiing is changing! But skiers weren't approving, these larger companies weren't dishing out the goods when it came to a backcountry ski. This shift in the market is why local, niche ski companies started to become so much more popular last year. In the most recent winter Olympics, over 40% of freestyle and big mountain skiers on the podium were skiing in smaller, independently owned companies such as Moment, ON3P, and Black Crows. This was a big change from the year before when everyone was on Salomon's and Rossignols.

Large or small, ski companies are striving worldwide to solve this problem – because skiing in changing – but most of them are doing it using high end materials, or over saturating the marketplace with advertising instead of trying new shapes and flex patterns. People want an individual experience in nature now, not just waiting in lines at a resort. A company needs to step forth to bring this culture and product design forward.

Sources:

http://blistergearreview.com/gear-101/skiing-101/big-vs-small-ski-companies-whos-building-better-skis

https://www.ispo.com/en/trends/ski-touring-trend-skiers-are-driven-need-fitness-training-and-nature-experience-winter